


Missing

by EnchantedbookLover18



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Missing, Undercover, mention of 'killing', mention of 16x18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23367163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantedbookLover18/pseuds/EnchantedbookLover18
Summary: Nick had been gone for seven weeks now. They didn’t know if he was alive. They didn’t know where he was or who he was with.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	Missing

**Author's Note:**

> For @hellokaelyn's request on tumblr (I know that this is probably not what you had in mind and I'm sorry in advance🙊😅):  
> 75\. “You make me feel alive."  
> 76\. “I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
> 
> I hope y'all like it anyway!!
> 
> P.S. This got way out of hand and I have no idea about undercover work or cases, so just bear with me and try not to think too much about the inaccuracy^^

Nick had been gone for seven weeks now. They didn’t know if he was alive. They didn’t know where he was or who he was with. But every single time Ellie asked the Director for information on Nick’s whereabouts, he blocked. In a way, Ellie understood his reasons. Technically, Vance wasn’t allowed to tell her anything. _Confidentiality_. She was so sick of hearing it over and over again. Ellie used to work for the NSA for God’s sake. She’d had one of the highest possible clearances. But since joining NCIS that had obviously changed. She loved her job, the team…but this sucked.

Ellie tried to live as normal as possible. But since Nick took this new highly confidential assignment something was missing. Nothing was even close to normal. She missed him. A lot. Vance had told the team that the assignment would take about two months. Ellie really hoped it was over soon.

When she was at home preparing dinner for one, trying not to think about Nick, trying not to worry about the danger her best friend might be in, her cell phone rang. Gibbs.

“Hey, Gibbs. Everything okay?”

“Bishop, try not to freak out. Please.”

 _Oh God,_ she thought. _No. Please._

“What is it, Gibbs? Tell me!” She said with more force than actually intended. Ellie felt sick to her stomach, her heart began to race. “Tell me!”

“He’s missing, Ellie. Nick is missing. And his liaison-officer hasn’t heard back from him in three days.” Gibbs tried to sound as calm as possible. For her. But Ellie could hear the underlying worry and panic in his voice.

“What does that mean ‘missing’?! What was he even working on? And where? Gibbs, I want answers. I _need_ answers. Where is he??” She was panicking. This couldn’t be happening. He was supposed to come home soon. This couldn’t be the end. No. Not like this…

Ellie could hear Gibbs still talking to her but all she understood was ‘Meet me at the Navy Yard. Vance will brief us there’. Everything else he said didn’t reach her, it was like she was under water. She was drowning. The phone slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground. Ellie sat down on the floor next to it.

_“Nick, please. Don’t take the assignment. It’s too dangerous. Deep cover. You haven’t done that in years.” Ellie pleaded. She knew she sounded desperate. But she didn’t care._

_“And what? You think I can’t do it anymore because it’s been a few years since I’ve last done undercover jobs?!” Nick got angry now, his voice got louder with each word._

_“What!? No!! Come on. I didn’t say that. It’s just – It’s just not like you. I mean that’s not who you are anymore…” Ellie tried to reason with him. But she didn’t tell him the actual reason she didn’t want him to leave. It was too soon. And she was too afraid._

_“ **Not like me?** What’s that even supposed to mean, Ellie? What is ‘like me’? What am I then? Who am I? Hm? I am a monster. A killer.” Nick was dead serious. He actually believed what he was saying. “I mean we never talked about it again. But you said it yourself, Bishop. I’m capable of killing someone.”_

_“Nick, no. That’s not what I meant. And I’m deeply for what I said that day. You know we all have the skills to kill but we don’t do it, Nick. You didn’t and you couldn’t do it. I am sorry.”_

_Ellie knew she messed up that day he was suspect in a murder investigation. Terribly. He’d been framed. But she’d hoped they were over it by now. God was she stupid to think that burying stuff would make it go away._

_“I did kill people. And we both know it.”_

_“I did too. But in the field, Nick. We only kill when we have too.” Ellie was desperate now. This conversation had taken a wrong turn._

_“I have to go. And I need to take the assignment. It’s the right thing to do.”_

_“Let someone else take it, Nick. Please.”_

_“There’s no one with the same skill set, Ellie. They need me. And I want to do it. You can’t convince me otherwise.” With that he left her apartment. Nick had left her behind. And Ellie’s world crashed. He didn’t have to prove himself to anyone – or to her – even if he believed otherwise. Ellie broke into tears._

Ellie wiped the tears away and stood up. This was not the right time to relive the memories of the last time she saw him. The night she didn’t tell him the truth about why she didn’t want him to leave. The night they had the biggest fight in their friendship. Nick had left and now she might never see him again.

\---------------

Two more days had gone by and the team still had no new lead on Nick’s whereabouts or if he was still alive.  
Vance had given them the information about Nick’s assignment on the same day Gibbs had called Ellie. They spoke to Nick’s liaison-officer and found out that Nick was working a major drug case in Seattle. He’d befriended the dealers and became part of their cartel. They were high-end dealers for celebrities and important public figures – politicians. So far local law enforcement hadn’t been able to take them down. They killed without leaving a trail. No witnesses and no one willing to talk about them. Five cops who had tried to become part of the cartel – who had tried to destroy the enemy from within – had been killed already. Nick Torres had a reputation for being the best undercover agent in NCIS and somehow the local police got wind of that. And apparently his years of undercover work had proved to be beneficial indeed. He made it pretty quickly into the inner circle and now he had contact with the higher-ups. But then things suddenly went sideways – they planned to deliver drugs to a secret meeting of local politicians – and Nick had gone missing.

They didn’t know if he was dead or alive. He could be wounded and in need of medical attention. Or maybe – hopefully – he went underground until he thought it was save to get in contact.  
Ellie slowly lost hope to find him again. Gibbs and McGee tried to stay as positive as possible but they were worried sick. There was no sign of Nick anywhere. At least they hadn’t found a body yet either…

Ellie went to the bathroom again for what seemed like the hundredths time today. But she needed to clear her head and get herself back together if she wanted to deal with this and keep working. And the only way to do that was to go to the bathroom for some alone-time. There were too many people everywhere else.

While she was splashing water on her face, Ellie’s phone rang. An unknown number. “Special Agent Bishop. How can I help you?”

“Ellie.”

“Who’s there?” she asked confused.

“Ellie. It’s me.” A quiet male voice replied. It sounded oddly familiar.

“Nick? Oh my God! Nick, is that really you?” Ellie almost screamed, her heart suddenly racing fast.

“Yes, it’s me. Ellie. I’m coming home.” She sniffled. He was alive. And he was coming home. Ellie finally got a second chance to tell him the truth.

Nick and Ellie had talked a little more before Ellie handed the phone over to Gibbs. He had to explain a lot to Gibbs and Director Vance and he would probably tell her all about it later on.  
They had agreed upon her picking Nick up at the airport the next morning. Until then, Ellie went home and tried to get some sleep now that she knew he was safely coming back to her.

\---------------

“Nick! Over here!” Ellie shouted in his direction. The pick-up area was packed with people waiting for their friends and family exiting the plane from Seattle.  
He recognised Ellie’s voice and looked up. A huge, but still a little reserved smile on his face. A smile only meant for the woman in front of him. His best friend.

“I’m so sorry- ” – “I’m sorry-” Both said at the same time. A small chuckle escaped Nick.

“I’m sorry, Nick. _So_ sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Not the day I asked you if you could’ve killed that girl. And not almost two months ago before you left for the mission. I know that you had to take the assignment. But you’re not a killer or a monster, Nick. You’re the best person I know. And you want to help people in need. You want to do good and get the bad guys off the street. Many people – innocent people – and cops died from the hands of this cartel. Of course you would help.” Ellie rambled. She had to get it all out. She had to make it right before it was too late. Ellie got a second chance and she would take it. “Nick. I wouldn’t change a thing about you. Never. Because you are the best man I know.” A few tears escaped her eyelids.

“I know, Ellie. I know.” Nick replied, pulling her close to his chest with one hand on her hip and wiping her tears away with the other hand. “I am sorry too. I shouldn’t have stormed out the way I did. I shouldn’t have left you alone like this. And for the record: I wouldn’t change a thing about you either. Of course, I was hurt and disappointed back then but we should’ve talked about it instead of trying to forget it. I realised now that you were only trying to think analytical then because that’s who you are. You analyse facts and leads…and stuff.” He grinned. “What I’m trying to say is that I apologise too. I wouldn’t want to change who you are, Ellie. Because I love who you are. I love you. You make me feel alive. And I know there won’t be a single boring day if we are together.”

Nick smiled at her, hope in his eyes. _Oh that sweet, sweet smile._ Ellie put a hand on his cheek, slowly stroking it in a loving gesture. “I didn’t want you to leave, Nick, because I was afraid. I was afraid to lose you. I love you and I am in love with you, Nicholas Torres.”

Nick’s smile grew bigger. “I had hoped you would say that. And – I know there’s still a lot we have to work through…But we can to this together. I want you.”

“Well. Then why don’t you kiss me already?” Ellie asked boldly, a beaming grin on her face. “We can talk later.”

Nick didn’t need more encouragement. Within seconds he closed the small distance between them and placed his lips on hers. The kiss was sweet and soft. It was everything she’d ever dreamed of. And it was a promise.


End file.
